International Journal of Clinical Research

Objective Overweight and obesity have become important independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases worldwide, affecting the cardiovascular system through multiple pathways and mechanisms. Modern medical research shows that obesity leads to an increase in circulating blood volume, elevated blood pressure, and a long-term increase in the burden on the heart, eventually resulting in heart failure. Inflammatory factors secreted by adipose tissue promote myocardial cell fibrosis. Abnormal deposition of epicardial adipose tissue releases pro-inflammatory factors through paracrine action, impairs vascular endothelial function, and accelerates the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. In addition, the imbalance of intestinal flora in obese patients (such as excessive proliferation of Fusobacterium nucleatum) is closely related to metabolic disorders. The metabolic products of the flora can induce chronic low-grade inflammation and promote cardiovascular diseases. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, the pathogenesis of obesity is due to weak spleen qi. Factors such as irregular diet and prolonged sitting with little movement cause the spleen and stomach to lose their ability to transform and transport, leading to internal retention of water and dampness and the transformation into phlegm and turbidity, with blood stasis blocking the heart meridian. This review expounds the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases related to overweight and obesity in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, with the aim of providing effective prevention and treatment basis for overweight and obese individuals.

Obesity; Overweight; Cardiovascular disease; Traditional Chinese medicine